A Host Unto His Own
by Remasa
Summary: Gabriel Agreste is quite happy right now. Things are going along perfectly in every aspect of his life. But when a revelation threatens to destroy everything Gabriel has worked so hard to achieve, he decides to do the only thing he can think of to regain the upper hand: host his own convention. Sequel to 'A Fashionable Endeavor'.
1. Chapter 1

**STOP AND READ THIS FIRST!**

Spoilers through Season 2.

This is the **eighth** work of a series. You should read the following works in order, as they are direct continuations and I don't explain previous stories:

_1) Fanboy_

_2) Cosplay Contest_

_3) Resident Expert_

_4) The Merchant of Paris_

_5) Miraculously in Concert_

_6) Autograph Session_

_7) A Fashionable Endeavor_

Additionally, Gabriel does **NOT** know that Adrien is Chat Noir. I know what has occurred in the entire series thus far, and while it may or may not conflict with canon, Gabriel **NOT** knowing works better for this story.

* * *

**_A Host Unto His Own_**

_Chapter 1_

A few weeks after the fashion contest, Gabriel had tied up all the loose ends surrounding his new line and discovered he had a free afternoon in his future. Time to put it to good use.

"Adrien?" he asked, tracking down his son and finding him in his room talking on the phone.

"Ah, Father," the boy exclaimed, jumping up from where he had reclined on the sofa. "Marinette, I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"No, wait, Adrien," Gabriel said. "Actually, I wished to speak to Miss Marinette about scheduling some time to critique her outfit from the fashion show."

Marinette's startled face blinked at him from where he could see it on Adrien's phone screen. "Me?" she squeaked out. Adrien angled the phone towards him so he could speak directly to her.

He nodded. "I've been busy finishing my work these last few weeks, but I have a free afternoon that I'll be able to schedule in. When would you be available? That is, of course, if you still would like me to offer some criticisms."

"No!" she exclaimed. "I mean yes, I would! That would be amazing." She reached for something off screen. "I'm available Saturday, if that's okay with you?"

He noted the date in his calendar app. "Yes, that is fine with me." They ironed out a couple more details such as the time and location, settling upon Gabriel going to the bakery instead of Marinette coming to his home office. The teens both seemed surprised at that, but Gabriel wished to meet her parents before possibly inviting them over for dinner. This was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

"I'll be taking my leave now," Gabriel said as they concluded their talks. "I look forward to seeing your designs Saturday morning."

He left, allowing the two to resume their previous topic of conversation. Today had turned out to be quite productive. Maybe he could stretch his luck and attempt another go at the Miraculouses? He hadn't released an akuma in so long.

His debates were cut short as he entered into his office, only to discover a minor fashion emergency. All hopes of akumas fled his mind as he spent the rest of the day dousing proverbial fires and fixing the issues.

Saturday arrived before he knew it, having thrown himself back into his work the rest of the week. He had to admit he was eagerly awaiting Marinette's creation. He gathered a few items together – his tablet mostly – and headed downstairs. Adrien intercepted him at the bottom of the steps.

"Hello, Father," he greeted.

"Adrien," he answered in reply, "how _surprising_ to find you here."

His son smiled wide, ignoring the wry sarcasm Gabriel injected into his voice. Adrien had not-so-subtly been dropping reminders all week long about Saturday, as if fearful the busy designer would cancel at the last minute.

A thread of shame arose. After all, Adrien had every right to expect disappointment and cancellations. Gabriel _had_ been getting better, however, and he definitely hadn't canceled on _any_ of the dreaded conventions his son dragged him to. Still, it would take more than a few kept promises to eliminate the doubt Adrien held within. He didn't blame the boy one bit for his dubiousness.

On cue, Adrien cleared his throat. "So, uh, Marinette is super excited about today," he began.

"As am I," Gabriel assured him. "I've been looking forward to her creation since the contest."

Adrien beamed. "Well, I'll let you get on over to the bakery," he said, then immediately bit his lip.

"What is it?" Gabriel asked.

"Uhm... nah, nevermind, it's nothing."

"Adrien," Gabriel drew out his son's name, almost in warning.

"Please don't be too hard on Marinette!" he blurted out, then winced.

For his part, Gabriel merely stood there, baffled.

Adrien heaved a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and faced his father head on. "Even if it's not up to your standards, please break the news to her gently, okay? She wants honest critique, but she's not used to how you handle your employees."

The unspoken "please don't cause my girlfriend to break up with me" lingered between them.

"She has to learn how to accept proper criticism if she is to succeed in this industry. It's quite cutthroat."

"I know," Adrien insisted. "But... I just don't want to see her sad enough to attract any akumas. Please just consider her feelings?" He twisted his hands over his silver ring, the anxiety palpable.

Hmm, would that really be all it took to get her akumatized? After he's tried before with no success, _this_ would be what broke the happy-go-lucky student? But as he stared at Adrien, who looked back at him with fear and worry in his eyes, he realized that if he akumatized Marinette, his son probably wouldn't hesitate to throw himself into the fray to save her. And he couldn't quite pull him aside to explain why she would be perfectly safe as his champion. Not even restricting Adrien to his room would prevent him from sneaking out – defying Gabriel's orders to remain inside. His son had a rebellious streak that, coupled with his fierce protectiveness and high-strung emotions, only guaranteed that if an akumatized Marinette started to wreck havoc upon Paris, Adrien Agreste would not be far away.

He conceded defeat. He lost his chance to akumatize her when she was merely a "good friend" to his son. Now that the boy solidified his feelings, Marinette was untouchable. He couldn't risk it.

A tiny part of him wondered if Adrien's safety was the _only_ reason for not akumatizing Marinette.

The thought sprang unbidden to his mind – a vision of Marinette running at an akuma, desperate to assist in anyway she could.

He closed his eyes and shook his head to rid himself of that mental image. Perfect. Just what he needed. It wasn't bad enough he feared for Adrien's security during akuma battles, but now he realized another name had been added to the incredibly short list of people he cared about.

This wasn't fair! He wasn't supposed to start contemplating the consequences of his increasingly drawn-out battle! Why couldn't he just succeed in _one_ fight so he could bring his wife back?

"Father?" Adrien's voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked to his son, understanding that it had been several moments since he last spoke. "Apologies, Adrien," he said. "I'll be sure to curb my words around your girlfriend." _Marinette,_ his mind taunted him. _Her name is Marinette and you've grown fond of her as well. Ignoring her name won't change that fact._ "But for what it's worth," Gabriel continued, shoving that annoying voice that sounded suspiciously like Nooroo to the background, "I don't believe Miss Marinette has anything to worry about."

Adrien's broad smile lingered in his mind as he left the house. In a short time, he stood in front of the bakery. A soft bell tinkled as he opened the door. A heavenly blend of scents caught his attention and he inhaled a second breath – long and deep – savoring the experience. It wasn't just the expected warm yeasty smell of baking bread, but also the sweet nostalgia of sugar cookies and cakes that transported him away for the briefest of moments. No wonder Adrien relished spending so much time over here.

"Hello," a pleasant voice greeted, snapping him back to reality. He focused upon the speaker – a short woman who looked a bit like Marinette. Her mother, he assumed, but he wouldn't dare voice his suspicions without proof. "Can I help you?"

Stepping forward, he placed his full attention upon her, resisting the urge to glance around at the drool-worthy displays of pastries. "My name is Gabriel Agreste," he began. "I am scheduled to meet with Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng this morning."

The woman's eyes lit up. "Ah, Mr. Agreste, of course," she said. She stepped around the counter. "I'm Marinette's mother, Sabine," she greeted, and Gabriel gave himself a mental pat on the back for his accurate deduction. "Tom!" she called out. "Come meet Adrien's father!"

He had been referred to by many things in his life, but getting introduced as simply "Adrien's father" brought a warm feeling to his chest. It lightened his heart, and it felt as if all his expectations to live up to his fame melted away. Here, he didn't have to worry about pleasing investors, or guarding ideas, or checking his words. Here, he wasn't burdened with expectations of greatness, ingenuity, or trendsetting ideas. Here, he was simply "Adrien's father". Equality among parents.

Though, he conceded as some of the heaviness returned, he couldn't exactly claim equality in _that_ regard. Marinette's parents definitely succeeded where he had failed.

An enormous man stepped out from the back, coated in a fine layer of flour. "Ah, it's a pleasure to meet Adrien's father at last," the man said. "I'm Tom. Adrien talks about you a lot."

That surprised him. He would have thought Marinette would be the one to bring up his name in conversation. "He does?"

Tom nodded. "Yep. Told us all about how close you two are. He really loves going to those conventions. That's not too surprising though, from what I hear about you. Being Ladybug and Chat Noir's biggest fan, after all! It's wonderful to hear how you share with your son's passions. Ah, if we could close the bakery down more often, we would attend more with Marinette. Though she insists she doesn't mind going with her friends."

Gabriel didn't know what to say to that. Fortunately, he didn't have to as Sabine cut in with a gasp.

"Oh, Tom, we sent Marinette out," she exclaimed.

The gigantic man slapped his forehead with a flour-covered hand, leaving behind a white handprint on his forehead. "Oof," he muttered, "that's right. Mr. Agreste, I must apologize to you for our oversight. I sent Marinette out on a short errand not five minutes ago. I ran out of anise extract. I'm working on this special order of cookies and – "

"Tom, Mr. Agreste doesn't need to know all that," Sabine cut in. She turned to him with a smile. "Marinette should be back shortly."

"I see," he said. "I can always reschedule to a better time."

"No, no, that won't be necessary," Sabine assured him. "She's all set for you upstairs. Come on up and make yourself at home." She motioned for him to follow her through the back. He did so, and Tom vanished back into the kitchen as Gabriel trailed after Sabine as she wove her way through the bakery and out a side door. As they ascended a narrow staircase, Sabine spoke over her shoulder to him. "Marinette has been talking about nothing except your visit this past week," she explained as they approached the next level. "She's ever so excited. And you're very kind to offer her a private critique. She admires you greatly, you know."

They reached the upper floor and Sabine extracted a key, unlocking the door and pushing it open for Gabriel to enter.

"Marinette is very talented," he said as they stepped into the room. "She showed great integrity to recognize that her connection to my son might reflect unfairly upon her at the contest. It's only right to offer her the same level of critique she would have gotten anyway."

The petite woman laid one hand upon his arm. He turned his gaze to her. She smiled, a gentle serene curve of the lips. "Regardless, not many would have done what you have offered. Thank you."

"I... you're welcome," he replied. He swallowed. He wasn't used to honest praise and gratitude. Everyone he met nowadays always wanted something from him. Every kind word or gentle thanks manipulated him into agreeing with unfair demands or slipping up and spilling industry secrets.

It was a lesson he learned the hard way years ago, and one that carried him through his company's exponential growth. It was part of the reason he kept himself locked behind his office door for hours. It contributed to the decay of his relationship with Adrien after Emilie's disappearance. He didn't dare show any weakness lest he get taken advantage of again.

It was a lesson he was forgetting the more time he spent with Adrien, and then Marinette, and now Marinette's family. The harsh realities life had ground into him faded from memory bit by bit as pieces of love, warmth, and genuine goodness replaced them.

Adrien's lively laughter. Marinette's flushed stutterings. The pride shining in their eyes. If he closed his own, he could see those images clear and unfiltered. Sometimes, they even allowed him to forget his sorrow for one blissful moment.

"Marinette should be back any minute," Sabine said. "So go ahead and make yourself at home. Do you want anything to drink? Eat?" He shook his head. "Well, okay, I've got to get back downstairs, but if you need anything just head on down and ask. Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

"I'll be fine," he insisted.

"Okay then," she repeated, a little bit of doubt remaining in her eyes even as she sent him one last smile and departed. Gabriel turned his attentions to the apartment, allowing himself the first proper look at the room. Pinks and blacks colored the room, with bits of furniture arranged masterfully into a tight living space. Organized, yet unique and individualized. He could certainly picture Marinette living here.

And Emilie.

Again, that lump in his throat reformed as he thought to his wife's first apartment. Tiny yet homey. Warm and eclectic. Before he moved them to fame and sterility. Before technology and emotional distance.

Before she vanished from his life.

Even though she was still alive, her essence was gone. And each time he considered giving up on his quest, he only had to gaze upon her serene expression – frozen in eternal peace – to vow to find a cure for her coma. Only the Miraculouses would do.

He pushed aside the memory of Ladybug asking if she could help. All his life people offered things to him. Everything came with a price. He would rather the price be one he knew up front than one that snuck up on him when he least expected and attacked him in the shadows. This time, when it was most important, _he_ would be the attacker.

With a sigh, he forced himself to focus on the present. He owed it to Marinette to give her a solid critique, absent from his melancholic distractions. He spotted a dressing mannequin near the stairs, covered with a dark cloth. Knowing what little he did of Marinette, it didn't surprise him she kept her creation covered. He resisted the urge to peek. This moment was hers.

Still, he couldn't help the little thrill of excitement at imagining her joy when she unveiled her design. He could definitely relate to that feeling. To put the anticipation out of his mind, he stepped around the back of the couch to have a seat. However, in doing so, his leg hit the edge of a sketchbook. It crashed to the ground. He winced, hoping he didn't ruin any of the pages. As he bent over to pick it up, a single sheet slipped out and fluttered to the ground.

When he picked it up, he realized it wasn't a page torn from her sketchbook. His fingers brushed over the thick glossy stock of a photograph. He flipped it over.

His entire world collapsed.

Ladybug, Chat Noir, and _he_ – Gabriel Agreste – smiled up at him.

There was only one of those photos in existence.

And just to make sure, his eyes flickered to the bottom.

_Ladybug – _

_May your mission end soon. I look forward to meeting the hero beneath the mask one day._

_All the best,_

_Gabriel Agreste_

* * *

_**Author's Note: ** Sorry not sorry. You all literally asked for this story. This one is not going to be humorous or cracky like my other works, because I feel in order to give the characters the proper treatment they deserve, it cannot be crack. But I do plan to resume crack for the next story!_

_A sincere and special thank you to PerditaAlottachocolate who, despite her own busy schedule and writing her own story _**The Girl in the Mirror**_, a connected story for Marinette March, still managed to beta read this story and help with ideas and plotting._

_Another thank you to RoseGardenTwilight for brainstorming assistance!_

__Do check out both of their stories. RoseGardenTwilight writes lots of AU stories, so if that's your jam, check out her works!__


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

The photograph dropped from his hands, floating back to the ground as his numb fingers relaxed their hold.

No, this cannot be!

He squeezed his eyes shut.

_Flash_.

An image of Ladybug smiling at him.

No!

He shook his head. The image morphed in his mind; the mask dissolving away. The cheery smile remaining.

No! This cannot be true!

_"You're my favorite fashion designer, Mr. Agreste."_

But who said that? Ladybug or Marinette? He couldn't remember. Did it matter? His mind finally reconciled both images into one.

Ladybug was Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

He collapsed upon the sofa. His hands scrubbed at his face, willing his eyes to unsee that damning image.

_"I hope your booth does well this weekend. But if they're your designs, I daresay they will. I'm glad to hear you're one of our biggest fans."_

The hands moved upward, running through his hair and ruffling the strands before he pressed his palms into his lids so hard he began to see spots.

Spots.

A wave of nausea cascaded into him. One hand dropped to cover his mouth, forcing the bile back down. Urging his body to forgo its natural instincts.

A noise upon the stairs alerted him even through his world-altering revelation. He quickly stooped over, snatched the photograph (hands still shaking as he grasped it), stuffed it into the sketchbook and set it on the table just as the door opened and Marinette burst inside.

She hunched over and rested her hands upon her knees, inhaling deep breaths of air.

_The door slammed open and Ladybug burst into the room. She bent over, planted her hands upon her knees and gulped in huge heaving lungfuls of air._

He stared at her. Couldn't help it. He couldn't stop seeing the spotted heroine bursting into the judging room of the fashion contest a few weeks ago in the same manner. Even placed her hands upon her knees in an identical posture to catch her breath.

His stomach churned, threatening to betray him.

After a couple more deep breaths, she stood up and faced him.

_"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Agreste."_

"...Mr. Agreste?" she asked, tilting her head in the same quizzical motion and _how had he never noticed_? He blinked at her, unable to respond. "Are you okay, Mr. Agreste?" Her expression shifted to concern. "You look quite pale."

Yes, he would imagine he did. She stepped closer to him and he jerked back on instinct. She froze.

He swallowed once, summoning every stoic expression he could muster to mask his own dilemma. "I... don't feel very well," he mumbled. A wave of shame rippled through him. He was Gabriel Agreste! He did not _mumble_! He spoke clearly and articulated every word with perfection! Yet now he feared he couldn't do more than a muffled, hand-covered mumble lest he vomit everything to his archenemy.

Both literally and figuratively.

He needed to get out of there. Immediately. Before he succumbed to the overwhelming desire to do _something_. Something he knew would inevitably tip his hand. Something that up until a few moments ago he would not have hesitated to do. Something that now that he had the perfect opportunity... he faltered.

He met her eyes, catching the worry in them. The concern in her face that didn't cease whether she stood in front of him as bold Ladybug or reserved Marinette and inquired about his health.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I need to cancel today. I'll reschedule for another time." He stood up, deliberately concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other as he headed to the door. Just before he shut it behind him, he met her eyes once more. "I'm sorry," he repeated, pouring more weight into those two words as he funneled every bit of remorse for everything he had wrought against this girl.

Then he was gone.

He didn't know how he made it home. The journey was a blur. Did he call his driver? Did he walk? He couldn't answer that.

He vaguely recalled stumbling through the foyer, clammy hands sliding on the railing of the staircase as he staggered up the steps. Adrien didn't come out of his room. Gabriel imagined he was talking to Marinette, certain the girl wouldn't have hesitated to call her boyfriend the moment he left.

As he crawled into bed, shaking like a leaf, he thought he finally had a firm grip upon his nausea. He pulled the covers to his chin and closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep.

_Adrien was Chat Noir._

His eyes flew open. Flinging back the covers, he leaned over the side of his bed and retched into a trash can.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a feverish haze. He had a fuzzy memory of Nathalie entering, concerned about his health, but he dismissed her and ignored her inquiry about a doctor. A doctor couldn't cure what was wrong with him. He had brought this illness upon himself.

"How can this be?" he wailed to Nooroo. "Of all the people in the city – in the _world _– why did it have to be them?"

His kwami hovered nearby, anxious and worried. The little being rubbed his tiny paws together as he fretted over Gabriel.

"This might be a good thing," Nooroo insisted as he flitted around Gabriel's ruffled locks.

A most undignified snort sounded, and had anyone else been in the room they would have thought they imagined it. Because Gabriel Agreste did not _do _undignified snorts. "Good for you, perhaps," he muttered darkly. He turned his baleful eyes to the kwami. "Don't deny you've dreamed about the day you're finally rid of me."

Nooroo smiled at him – a gentle smile that reminded Gabriel of loving grandparents or wise sages. A smile full of warmth, understanding, and encouragement. "I've dreamed of a day when I can see you change," Nooroo explained. "To release the burdens of grief that weigh you down and keep you chained in darkness. To soar once again into the sunlight, a renewed inspiration to the world."

He glared at the kwami. "Of course," he said, not bothering to hide the bitterness from his voice. "That's all your kind do, isn't it? Manipulate the world to how _you _want it. Never mind the fact that lives are destroyed in the process. Families are torn apart."

"That's not true," Nooroo insisted. "We kwamis are here to guide and help."

The bitterness turned into a snarl. "Help?" Gabriel barked out a humorless laugh. "Help would have been to warn us what would happen when we used you. Help would have been to tell Emilie to stop before it ravaged her. Help would have been informing her of the dangers a Miraculous brings."

"Would she have listened?" Nooroo asked, his voice a near-whisper so quiet Gabriel almost missed it.

"Of course she would have!" he shouted.

"You didn't."

That stopped him for a second, like a stunned slap to his face. "I knew the dangers of what I was doing! I knew the risks! And I knew those risks because I had seen it first hand." He panted at the end of his outburst.

The tension hovered in the air for a long time between the two.

"We do not know everything," Nooroo said at last, his voice calm and soothing. Gabriel hated it right now. He turned away like a petulant child. "We cannot see all of the paths ahead of us. I warned you from the very beginning. I warned you we are not meant to be misused. But you ignored me. You thought you could accept those risks. Your arrogance blinded you to seeing everything that could possibly be." The sprite paused. "But your arrogance has not yet cost you everything. You can still salvage this. You can still make things right."

"You have a funny interpretation of what 'right' means," Gabriel sniped.

Nooroo flew next to him and hovered close to the back of his head. "You can still listen. You can still fix things. You have a chance to make everything right – _without _the use of the Miraculouses. You have a choice, Gabriel Agreste. Will you continue tearing apart your remaining family? Or will you mend the fragile relationship with your son?"

He twisted around to face Nooroo, his teeth bared in a feral grimace. "I hate you," he spat out. "I hate every kwami that ever existed who destroyed peoples' lives." His hands flew to his neck, his fingers fumbling for his Miraculous. "I wish my family had never discovered any one of your cursed kind!"

"Gabriel," Nooroo began, zooming in close to his face, "listen to me. There is still hope to make things right. You must not despair!"

"Go away!" Gabriel snarled, swiping at the kwami with one hand. Nooroo dodged aside with nimble ease.

"Please listen to me," he pleaded. "I can feel the warring emotions raging inside you right now."

"I said _go away_!" With one last roar, he ripped the brooch from his neck and flung it across the room. Nooroo vanished. He heard the brooch clink against the wall and clatter to the floor. He didn't see where. He didn't care. The Miraculouses had brought nothing but heartbreak and sorrow to his family, hidden beneath gilded hopes and promises.

_"You're a fanboy. Why didn't you tell me any of this, Father? We could have had lots of conversations!"_

**Gabriel squeezed his eyes tight. But that didn't stop the onslaught of memories.**

_ "I guess you could say that you're the reason I wasn't akumatized. It wasn't just you, of course. I mean, of course it was you, you're awesome like that... but... uh... well, it was you... a-and your father, of course! Designing with him and you know..."_

_ "Thank you, Mr. Agreste, for allowing me to assist you both in designing and selling your merchandise at this convention."_

_"You're proof that one doesn't need a Miraculous to create something amazing. You may not be a hero, but you're my hero. Best of luck in everything you do, Ladybug."_

**Why did he have to start caring about her?**

_ "I mean, all of your designs would work, of course, because you're amazing and I don't know why Jagged would ever have -"_

_ "Please, Father? I'm just going to fall asleep again. It would mean a lot if you could go get me their autograph."_

**Why did it have to be his son?**

_ "It was the most amazing experience ever. I met one of my heroes and got really inspirational advice that I'll carry with me for a very long time."_

_ "Thank you again for inviting me to co-judge with you. It's quite an honor." _

_ "He refuses to face reality. To change his own life. To adapt. He clings to an archaic notion that a simple wish will right everything and he doesn't realize what he might have already lost while going down that path." _

_ "Actually, I've decided to give Chat Noir a chance. He's pretty amazing."_

**And why did he have to be the reason they started to date?**

_"You're trying to play matchmaker between your son and my charming little Marinette."_

_ "I admit that I find you're a good influence on my son." _

_ "You look great, Marinette."_

_"I am not averse to Adrien dating, especially when he has chosen someone like you, Miss Marinette."_

He turned around and buried his head in his pillow, praying for sleep to take him away from his bleak reality.

And soon enough it did, though his dreams flickered between restless anxiety and endless misery.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

The next day didn't appear to be shaping up any better than the previous, if his dreams were a foreshadowing of things to come. His argument with Nooroo should have made him feel better. After all, he was finally free of the kwami's influence. So why instead of relief did he only feel hollow?

It didn't help that every time his thoughts drifted to Adrien or Marinette, that wave of nausea returned. And _everything _reminded him of Adrien and Marinette. He gave up on showering after a five minute stream of vertigo had him down upon the cool tile of the bath. Turning on the water recalled Ladybug mentioning Adrien's shower habits. Which he deduced were an excuse to cover for his Chat Noir antics. Once that thought entered his mind, his body rebelled and that's how he found himself upon the floor.

Attempting to get dressed had Marinette gushing about his fashion designs, which turned into Ladybug doing the same. So, he elected to remain in his pajamas. Even ordering food to settle his stomach had him remembering Kung Food and his famous Celestial Soup as Gabriel spooned as his own bowl of soup before pushing it away with a grimace.

The day passed in a swirl of nauseating images of Ladybug and Chat Noir, of Marinette and Adrien, of Emilie... and of Nooroo. The nausea faded the longer he ruminated over the kwami's words. Was the sprite correct? Could he still make everything okay?

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try.

With that lingering thought, he turned over on his side and surrendered to sleep. This time, his dreams were full of happy memories and laughter. And scenes that had not yet come true, but he hoped might one day.

On Monday, he crawled around on his hands and knees before spotting the Butterfly Miraculous behind a dresser. He stretched his arm to the back, his face pressed against the carpet as his fingers scrabbled around. The moment they touched cool metal, some burden in his heart lifted – as if collecting the Miraculous was the right thing to do and his body knew that.

He pulled it out and sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at the shape in his hands for a long moment. At last, he took a deep breath and concentrated, screwing his eyes shut tight. He saw the flash of light through his closed lids. When it had faded, he opened them.

Nooroo stared at him, not looking the least bit surprised. Part of Gabriel hoped the little kwami would have shown a little bit of emotion.

"You're right," Gabriel admitted. "I'm so sorry for everything." He had a grander speech planned to apologize to his companion, but he discovered his throat welled up with regret. He couldn't even choke the words out. How embarrassing.

Nooroo flew up and placed one tiny paw upon Gabriel's cheek. A quick pat for comfort, and the sprite flew back into the open space, where he nodded at Gabriel. A tiny reserved smile appeared on Nooroo's face. It was a shy smile, but a pleased one.

No more words were needed.

* * *

The events of the morning had taken quite a bit from Gabriel and, coupled with his lack of appetite, his body couldn't handle the stress and shut down. The designer once again curled up under his covers, alternating between shaking and sweating.

"Nooroo," he mumbled, turning over and wiping sweat from his brow. The purple kwami fluttered into view, staring at him with doleful eyes. "What should I do? I've never been closer to my goal than now."

"You've never been closer to your son than now," Nooroo replied.

"He'll understand," Gabriel insisted, but the words didn't sound believable even to him. "He will," he repeated, placing more emphasis into them this time.

The sprite didn't look convinced. "He's had the opportunity to get the Ladybug earrings from his partner at any time and he hasn't. If he really wanted his mother back, he would have already taken the earrings and combined them with his own Miraculous. Are you so certain he would really understand?"

Gabriel swallowed back some bile as he recalled the many times Chat Noir – Adrien – defended Ladybug – no, _Marinette _– from attacks. His head swam trying to keep everything straight.

"Ladybug has offered to help you," Nooroo continued. Gabriel closed his eyes. "Not you, fashion designer Gabriel Agreste. But Hawkmoth. You feared she planned to deceive you then and thus rejected her offer. Now that you know her identity, do you believe Marinette Dupain-Cheng capable of such deception?"

"She lied to my akumas before to succeed," he pointed out, turning and staring at the purple sprite.

His kwami merely fixed him with a look. Gabriel averted his eyes. "Okay, fine," he conceded, "akumas don't really count. So how do you know she didn't lie to Hawkmoth?"

Nooroo flew in close to Gabriel. "You're the empath," he said. "What do you think? What do you _really _believe?"

Time to change the subject. "So what if I accept her offer for help, then? What can she do that I haven't?"

Nooroo shook his head. "I don't know. But the fact that she has outsmarted you for so long tells me she might be able to come up with a solution that has eluded you."

His face crumpled at that. Nooroo spoke the truth. Ladybug always outsmarted him. Sure, sometimes extraordinary luck shone through in her favor, and sometimes his grasp upon his akumas faltered to where they didn't listen to him and allowed her to succeed, but the fact that she _did _succeed spoke volumes to her cleverness. If anyone could ferret out a solution to Emilie's sickness that _didn't_ involve the risks of combining the Miraculouses, it would be her.

But would that offer of assistance still remain if he approached her?

_ "Heroes protect everyone."_

Turning away from Nooroo, he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him once more, dimly aware of Nooroo snuggling into his neck to provide comfort.

* * *

On Tuesday, he managed to shower and clean himself without a single bit of nausea overtaking him. He still fought back a hint of vertigo every now and then, but he powered through it, determined to finish his tasks. After getting dressed and composed, he sat down at his desk, pulling out a notebook from one of the drawers.

"Are you really going to tell Adrien and Marinette?" Nooroo asked, floating near him while he sketched.

Gabriel pushed some more gourmet popcorn at the kwami. "I have to," he explained. "It's only fair to them. Plus, if I want their forgiveness, this is the way it has to be."

Nooroo chomped down on the caramel-covered corn. "But wouldn't you rather wait a while? Let their memories fade so it's not quite so fresh?"

"If their memories begin to fade, so might mine," Gabriel replied, continuing to write in his notebook. "I might forget how _visceral _my initial reaction was. I might lose my resolve." He shook his head. "No, the sooner, the better." He smiled at Nooroo. "At least, that is what my heart is telling me."

The proud smile his kwami sent him warmed his soul. "Mine, too," he agreed.

The two of them spent all morning planning and plotting, with Gabriel suggesting ideas and Nooroo improving them. Then, the little sprite would add something and Gabriel would tweak and adjust it. By the time late afternoon rolled around, together they had created the perfect plan. Gabriel smiled as he sat back and regarded his – no, _their _– masterful idea. They created something truly breathtaking when they worked in unison. The designer wondered what they could have invented had he not been so mindlessly consumed with his grief. Another regret to account for.

"It's almost time for Adrien to get home," Nooroo reminded him, pulling him back into reality.

"Yeah," he said absently, still staring at their plans. "Do you think this will work?" The nausea that had abandoned him all day returned.

Nooroo flew in and nuzzled Gabriel's neck before alighting and settling in his hair.

"Hey!" he protested, shooing the kwami away as he reslicked the ruffled strands back into place.

Nooroo giggled. "Yes, Gabriel, I believe it will."

The nausea once again subsided. "Okay," he declared, rising from his seat. "Let's do this."

The kwami circled around his head and Gabriel drew strength from the encouraging action. With one last smile exchanged between them, Nooroo darted into Gabriel's pocket.

As he stepped out into the hallway and made his way down to the entrance, voices filtered up to him. He began to discern the words the closer he got to the stairs.

"I killed your father," came a familiar wail, and despite himself a small smile appeared on his lips.

"No, you didn't, Marinette. Calm down."

"Then I made him sick. He was perfectly fine before he entered the bakery and then he rushed away so fast and has been sick ever since."

"He's not going to blame you for his cold."

"A cold doesn't make people vomit, Adrien!"

"Regardless of what he has, he's not going to blame you for it." A pause. "Or your family."

"How did – ?"

"Puh-lease. I know how you think by now." Gabriel could hear the smile in his son's voice. As he stepped into view, the two teenagers didn't notice him right away, being so focused upon each other.

Marinette stood on one side, her hands fluttering between covering her face and waving around. Adrien rested one hand upon her shoulder and appeared to be attempting to guide her forward. His son turned and spotted him.

"Father," he exclaimed with a wide smile. "How are you feeling?"

When Marinette also turned to him, with her face contorted with worry, the masks slid over their eyes. A nearly identical stance adopted by the two of them many months ago flooded into his memory (via security footage of course) – one with both heroes at the bottom of these same stairs while he loomed over them from above as the Collector.

His hand slammed against his mouth as another wave of nausea hit – acute and unrelenting.

"Father?"

He blinked up at Adrien peering down at him in concern. Next to him stood Marinette. He looked around. When had he collapsed on the stairs? One shaky hand still grasped the rail. Marinette slid her hand underneath his elbow to support him. Adrien ducked around back to assist in lifting him.

"Come on," his son grunted, "you need to get back to bed."

"No!"

The forceful demand surprised even him with its vehemence but it managed to succeed in getting Adrien to pause. "I – ," he gulped, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "I need to speak to you." His gaze included Marinette. "Both of you."

"Now?" The doubt in Adrien's expression was clear.

Gabriel nodded. "Immediately. It is critically vital."

The two teens exchanged looks. Something passed between them that Gabriel couldn't read.

"Okay," Adrien conceded, and together they helped him down the stairs into his atelier. Nathalie wasn't there. Gabriel sent her to the main office today to cover for him at a conference call between his head designers in his absence.

As the door closed behind them, Adrien asked in a small voice, "Are we in trouble?"

He froze. Something welled up inside him that threatened to shatter his fragile calm. He turned toward Adrien, who stared at him with apprehension clear on his face.

"No," he said, his voice hoarse. "No, Adrien, you're not. You could never be. You're perfect, you know?" He stepped up to Adrien and smoothed back his son's bangs before pulling him into a tight hug, savoring the moment. Would this be the last hug he ever got from Adrien? "My perfect boy, so amazing," he murmured into his hair.

When he pulled away, a part of his heart tore off and got left behind – kept in Adrien's hands. Nooroo stirred inside his jacket. He turned away.

"I need to show you both something very important," he said, knowing if he faced the duo he wouldn't have the resolve to continue once he spotted their inevitable disappointment. "But before I do, I just want you both to know how terribly and truly sorry I am. I... lost a part of myself when Emilie..." He cut off with a hard swallow. "It's taken me a long time to find it again. I fear it might be too late for me as it is."

Neither of the teens spoke, a small blessing for which he was grateful. He opened his jacket and Nooroo floated out. Gabriel's tall body blocked the view of the kwami from sight of the other two. He stared up at the image of his wife, imagining her approval and love. Nooroo hovered over his palm for a few seconds before fluttering up and bopping his nose with one gentle paw. He smiled as Nooroo drifted back down to rest upon his palm.

Gabriel bowed his head and slowly stretched his shaking hand to one side.

This was it.

The kwami rose from his palm once more.

"Hello," he greeted with a cheerful smile. "I'm Nooroo."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Special thank you to PerditaAlottachocolate for beta reading this and plugging any pesky plot holes! And also to Lilafly for giving it a final lookover for remaining typos and inconsistencies._

_Do check out their stories, Perdita's contributions to Marinette March and Lila's unique AU about the fae world called _Spellbound_._


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

The silence stretched for an eternity. Gabriel didn't dare be the one to break it. He kept his hand outstretched. The muscle burned. He suffered through it. His hand couldn't seem to stop shaking.

"Father?" The crack in Adrien's voice nearly broke him. "You... you're...?"

"I am so terribly sorry, Ladybug and Chat Noir," Gabriel repeated, emphasizing their heroic names. Would repeat again and again and again if it meant he didn't lose his son. He continued to face away from them.

"Why?"

He turned around at last, dropping his hand to his side. Adrien stood facing him, one arm outstretched in front of Marinette. Protecting her. She, in turn, had angled her body to the side, her own hand out in front of Adrien's chest. Holding him back.

Both stared at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You have everything you could possibly want," Marinette said, more curious than accusatory. "What could _you _possibly wish for?"

He sighed – long and weary and shouldering the burdens of his villainy – and addressed his former nemesis. "No, I _had _everything I could possibly want. Then she was taken from me. And my world collapsed."

Her expression shifted from suspicion and judgment to one of sympathy and understanding. She spared a quick glance to Adrien.

"Mom?" his son clarified. "You decided to terrorize Paris to bring Mom back?"

"To wake her up, Adrien," Gabriel corrected. Adrien frowned in confusion. "She's here. Alive. But in a magical coma. Nothing can wake her. Nothing, I had believed, but your Miraculouses."

For her part, Marinette saw past the emotional bombshells and seized upon the one out-of-place word in his statement. "Mr. Agreste, you said 'magical' coma. What kind of magic?"

Gabriel looked at Nooroo. The kwami flew forward and cleared his throat. "Miraculous magic," Nooroo explained. "See, Emilie discovered Duusu's brooch and delighted in using it. She reveled in the soaring freedom she got when she transformed." Adrien shifted on his feet at this. "But the Miraculous is ill, and that illness spread to Duusu's wielder. By the time Gabriel activated me, it was too late for Emilie. The darkness had claimed her."

While Adrien and Gabriel both looked stricken at this story, Marinette frowned and stepped closer to Nooroo. A curious gleam shone in her eyes. "When you say 'illness', what exactly do you mean?" She seemed no longer afraid of Gabriel, ignoring him entirely in favor of his kwami.

"Kwamis can get sick," Nooroo said.

"Yeah, I know," she replied, startling both Gabriel and Adrien. Father and son exchanged surprised looks.

"Oh!" Apparently the humans weren't the only ones astonished by Marinette's knowledge, as Nooroo's bulbous eyes widened even more. "Well, as you can imagine a kwami's illness isn't caused by the same things that sicken humans. Because we are beings created by abstract concepts, so our life forces are in part influenced by what created us."

"I'm with you so far," Marinette said.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. _She is?_ he thought. He slid a look to his son to see if he was following along and met Adrien's green eyes. He jumped. Adrien quirked a rueful grin at him. Gabriel nodded at Marinette and Adrien shrugged his shoulders. The two of them shared a tiny, private smile.

Perhaps things would work out after all.

"So if creation is Tikki's life force, then destruction would harm her?" Marinette inquired even as Gabriel narrowed his eyes in thought. Where had he heard that name Tikki before?

Before his mind could seize upon the answer, an indignant voice squawked out, "Hey!" A black blob flew from Adrien's shirt and zipped right into Marinette's face. "Don't you dare say anything like that! Tikki is more special than the sun. It would take more than a little bit of me to dim her light." He folded his paws and glared at her.

Gabriel tilted his head, intrigued to see another kwami even as Adrien shouted, "Plagg!"

Marinette smiled and scooped up the grumpy kwami, scratching behind his ears. "Of course not, Plagg," she cooed. "I know you would never harm Tikki. You probably absorb all of the negative energy around her."

The kwami melted at her touch and Gabriel found himself fascinated at how this girl could charm anyone and anything she met. Crotchety kwamis and fashion moguls together.

"Well," Plagg said, mollified by her words, "so long as you know."

"Hello, Plagg," Nooroo said in his soft voice, a tiny smile upon his face.

The black kwami barely spared him a glance. "Hey, 'Roo. Have you finally convinced this ice bucket you call a wielder to stock some cheesy popcorn?"

Gabriel bristled at that. "Excuse me?"

The two kwamis ignored him.

"I've gotten him up to caramel popcorn now," Nooroo said.

"Blech! That's Tik's sugar rush."

A red head popped out from Marinette's purse. "Ooh, did I hear something about caramel popcorn?"

The other two kwamis turned to the designer expectantly. Adrien watched with unabashed glee as Gabriel struggled to make some sense out of the situation in front of him. The black kwami – Plagg – flew in his face.

"Yo, Hawkbreath," he sneered. "You heard the lady. You got any of that caramel popcorn around? And while you're at it, how about some camembert?"

For one brief moment, Gabriel was extremely glad he never managed to acquire the two Miraculouses. He had a sneaky feeling that the black cat would find continuous new ways of driving him insane. "Uhm, upstairs?" he offered, his meek bafflement at odds with his usual commanding presence.

He definitely did not imagine the smirk of satisfaction spreading across his son's face.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Plagg snapped. "Go on and get it!"

The look of chagrin upon his face broke Adrien, who burst out into laughter at his father's befuddlement.

"Plagg, play nice," the red one chided. She flew up and joined her partner in the air. "You don't have to get it now, Mr. Agreste. Nooroo was in the middle of his story. And he does a much better job of explaining than I do. I can wait until Nooroo is finished. Thank you, though."

"Uh, you're welcome?"

Did he just get tricked into bringing popcorn down for the two kwamis? The warm smile Tikki beamed at him erased any lingering annoyance, and he was left feeling ashamed at doubting the sweet kwami's intentions.

Oooh, she was quite possibly more dangerous than her destructive partner.

It had been quite a long time since anyone pulled anything over on him. He nodded; a respectful nod, conceding defeat to the kwami who cleverly gained the upper hand in this encounter. Tikki's smile broadened. Her eyes twinkled. There was no maliciousness in her kind expression.

"Please continue, Nooroo," she said. Plagg flew back to Adrien and settled upon his shoulder. Gabriel's eyes followed the flight path, admiring the ease and camaraderie between his son and his kwami. Adrien absently reached over and patted Plagg's head. The kwami fluffed up and met Gabriel's gaze. The designer expected there to be something in the expression – hatred, disgust, a sneer – but Plagg merely watched him with his large luminous eyes.

It appeared all of his expectations would be shattered today. And in a good way.

Nooroo swept forward once more, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "Destruction wouldn't sicken Tikki," he explained. "But rather it would be the lack of creation; the stifling of artistic minds and the loss, essentially, of knowledge."

Marinette shot a concerned look to Tikki, who hovered up to comfort her chosen.

"Since obviously negative emotions don't sicken you," Adrien spoke up, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "What would make you ill, Nooroo?"

The purple sprite smiled at Adrien. "Simple. The lack of emotion. Gabriel has almost _too _much emotion –," and at this the designer in question choked and sputtered out denials with a flaming face, "– so his essence, while full of negativity, grief, and desperation, fueled my existence."

"That make sense," Marinette murmured.

Gabriel was glad that _someone _could make sense of everything.

"So what about Duusu?" she asked.

"Ah, Duusu is passion. But what made her unique wasn't the lack of passion. It was the oversaturation of it. When we were last active, before she and I were separated, there was a sudden increase of feverish passion coming from everywhere at once. It... became too unbearable for her. With no healer around to siphon the excess energy, it began to poison her."

Adrien frowned. "What's wrong with passion?" he asked.

"Nothing," Nooroo assured him. "But as with everything, too much can harm. And this passion wasn't normal passion. It was passion channeled into a cult-like mentality. And that passion turned into fanaticism."

"And _that _is dangerous," Tikki chimed in.

"So why couldn't a healer heal her?" Adrien asked.

The kwami sighed, long and despondent. "We tried to alert the healers. The ones that listened weren't powerful enough and the ones that could were too blinded by their zealotry to remember their duties. When we got locked away and lost, Duusu carried that sickness with her. It remained dormant all those many years: never fading, never strengthening."

"Until Mom found it?"

"Nooroo wasn't active at the time," Gabriel said, picking up the story. "And Emilie was so very enamored by Duusu and her powers. She would often talk with her into the early hours of the morning. More than once I walked in on her transformed." He turned away, lost in the memories of yesteryear.

"And Duusu didn't say anything?" Adrien demanded.

"She tried," both Gabriel and Nooroo spoke simultaneously. Gabriel bowed his head to the kwami.

Nooroo continued. "Duusu tried to warn Emilie that she wasn't well," he explained. "She feared the consequences of prolonged exposure to an untrained human in her condition. As the weeks and months went on, Emilie began to suffer side effects."

"Coughing, mostly," Gabriel said, fixing Adrien with his expression. The boy paled as understanding sank in. As he surely recalled all those instances of cough.

"She said they were allergies," Adrien choked out, his voice hoarse. Marinette slid over and wrapped her arms around him. "She told me not to worry."

"Neither of us connected it until it was too late," Gabriel said. "By the time we remembered we had acquired _two _Miraculouses, Emilie's condition had progressed too far."

"So she's dead?" Adrien cried, breaking down into tears. Marinette tightened her grip upon him. Gabriel's own heart ached to comfort his son himself, but he dare not move a step in his direction until granted permission.

"Not dead, Adrien," he said instead. "In a magical coma. Your kwami might not have fully revealed the extent of his powers to you, but kwamis are amazing." He smiled at Nooroo.

"You know, kid," Plagg interjected. "I've often encouraged you to rebel against your father."

"You've _what_?" Gabriel exclaimed even as Plagg shot him a smug smile. The designer scowled at him. Plagg ignored him and turned back to Adrien.

"But this time, you might want to pay attention. We kwamis _are _pretty amazing."

"You don't need to tell me that, Plagg," Adrien said with a watery smile. "I've figured that one out all by myself."

"Teenage rebellion ploys aside," Gabriel continued, making a mental note to speak to Adrien about this at a later date, "Nooroo managed to envelop Emilie into a type of equilibrium. Her very own cocoon."

"She'll get better?" The note of hope in his son's voice brought Gabriel back to the darkest hours of his life. Hours where he swore he would do whatever it took to bring Emilie back so he didn't have to see Adrien like this anymore. He shoved those thoughts aside. There was hope. He just had to believe.

He shook his head. "She remains in a stasis. That's why I needed the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses. Only a wish can cure her now that all of the healers are gone."

Frenzied whispers drew his attention to Marinette, engaged in a low heated debate with her kwami. At last, she looked up. "Hypothetically," she began, drawing out the word in such a way that made Gabriel suspect it wasn't as hypothetical as she claimed, "if we were to find a healer, what would it take for them to heal Mrs. Agreste?"

Nooroo thought for a moment. Gabriel's breath caught. Did she truly know of such a healer? He knew a guardian still survived, but was there _also _a healer?

"They would have to heal Duusu first, so that she can siphon the energy from Emilie. But it wouldn't be instantaneous. The process would take several sessions, and the healer, Duusu, and Emilie all need to rest in between."

More whispers between Marinette and Tikki. Gabriel couldn't take his eyes off them. What were they discussing? Nooroo sensed his agitation and flew over. The tiny sprite fluttered close to his chest and his heart rate steadied. Marinette looked over to Adrien, bit her lip, turned back to Tikki and continued arguing. Finally, Tikki nodded at Marinette. She smiled.

"I might be able to help," she announced, and Gabriel's heart stopped. Even Adrien stared at her. "Tikki got sick a few months ago, and I brought her to someone who healed her."

He staggered back against the wall. The motion caught Marinette's attention, who turned to him with concern. "Are you okay, Mr. Agreste?"

Was he okay? He couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't see. His chest tightened. The roar in his head drowned out everything else and_ he couldn't breathe_!

"Breathe," a gentle voice commanded in his ear.

Some part of his brain obeyed and he inhaled.

"Again."

He complied.

"Emilie?" he croaked out.

His vision cleared. He looked up into his son's eyes – _her _eyes. He blinked. The blur sharpened.

"Are you okay, Father?" One hand gripped his shoulder.

Was he?

"Take it easy," the same gentle voice advised and he recognized it now as coming from the Ladybug kwami. Marinette knelt beside Adrien, wearing an identical expression of concern.

"You gave us all a scare," Tikki continued, and Gabriel caught the double meaning behind her words. "Especially your son."

Adrien. His eyes flew back over and locked onto the green. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

As the boy's jaw dropped open in astonishment, Marinette leaned over and wrapped one arm around his back, looping his own arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, Mr. Agreste," she grunted as she helped him to a standing position, "let's get you over to the couches."

He stared around the room. "What happened?" he asked, his fuzzy brain still trying to process everything. He pressed his hand against cool wall to steady himself.

"You fell down," Adrien said. "You didn't seem like you could hear us at all. You got all pale."

He fell down?

He allowed himself to be lifted up and guided toward the sunken couches in the middle of the room. Tikki floated over a glass of water. He accepted, grinning wryly as he imagined how this would look on his security cameras. After a couple of sips, he recalled how he ended up in this position. He turned to Marinette.

"Do you really know someone who can heal Emilie?"

Her face crumpled, and so did his hopes. "I don't know," she said, wringing her hands. "I mean, he healed Tikki, but I don't know if he's powerful enough to heal Duusu."

His mouth felt like cotton. He gulped down another mouthful of water. Marinette smiled at him.

"But I could ask," she said, and his vision clouded once again.

When it cleared, he met her gaze. "Why would you do this for me? After everything I've done to you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She seemed genuinely confused by the very question and in that moment he almost grabbed Adrien and declared his son marry this girl today. "I don't want to get your hopes up," she told him and he almost replied it was too late for that, when she continued with, "but even if that won't work, I'll think of something else." She capped it off with another reassuring smile.

It was everything he could have asked for, and she had offered so selflessly without any prompting by him.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome. Now," she said, her smile dissolving into a frown, "I think we need to discuss your Hawkmoth activities."

He gulped.

* * *

_**Author's Note**: Thank you to _PerditaAlottachocolate _for extensive beta-ing this chapter (there were many plotholes!) and for _Lilafly _for additional beta edits!_

_Also, there was a reference in there to _RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley's_ story _The Teenage Rebellion Revenge Plo_y, an amusing story on it's own._


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

As both kids and their kwamis stared at Gabriel, his nervousness returned. Though, he noted, it wasn't as bad as his earlier bouts of near-panic. He had already accepted this part of his fate.

"Actually," he began, looking to his own kwami, "Nooroo and I came up with an idea."

"You did?" Adrien asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.

"Yes," he replied, reaching for his notebook recalling too late one very important piece of information. "Ah, I forgot it upstairs." He arose, only to discover two pairs of hands pushing him back down.

"I'll go get it," Adrien volunteered. "You stay here."

Gabriel acquiesced. "It's on the desk in my bedroom. The blue notebook." When his son didn't move, he quirked an eyebrow at him. "Was there something else?"

The rapid glance at Marinette told him all he needed to know. "Ah," he said, fighting to keep the disappointment from his voice. He really should have guessed that. "You don't trust me," he stated matter-of-factly. When he saw the different kinds of emotions flash across his son's face, he held up a hand. "You don't need to answer that, Adrien," he said. "I know I have a lot to do to regain your trust – if I ever will." Adrien opened his mouth, probably to soften the blow, but Gabriel plowed ahead. "Nooroo can go with you," he offered. "He should know right where my notebook is. I won't be able to do anything without him here, anyway."

"Go on, Adrien," Marinette said. "I'll be fine." She looked at Gabriel with a smile that seemed to sharpen. Or was that just his imagination? "I would like to speak with your father privately for a moment, anyway."

Definitely not his imagination then. He glanced over at Nooroo, suddenly regretting the offer for the sprite to accompany Adrien. Before he could rescind it, however, Adrien sighed and headed for the door. Plagg trailed behind him.

"Come on, then, Nooroo. Let's get this over with." Nooroo hurried to catch up and floated beside Plagg as they left the room. The click of the door shutting behind them reminded Gabriel of a jail cell closing.

"How did you figure us out?"

Marinette's question drew his attention back to her. She sat with her arms folded, scowling at him.

"Well?" she demanded when he didn't answer right away. "We don't have much time and I have lots of things I need to ask you before Adrien returns."

"Uhm," he cleared his throat and attempted to compose himself. "When I went over to your parents' bakery on Saturday, I accidentally bumped into your sketchpad and knocked it off the table." Marinette looked over to Tikki. "And when I picked it up, a photograph fell out."

She groaned and buried her head in her hands. "Not you, too," she mumbled. "That stupid autograph."

He didn't know what he was supposed to say to that, so he continued with his story. "Well, from there, it wasn't too hard to connect the uhm, _dots _so to speak, to Adrien's secret."

She cocked her head to one side. "If you knew who we were, why didn't you do anything?"

"What would you have had me do?" he snapped, then winced at the harshness. "Sorry," he apologized for his outburst, making a mental note to dial back his brusqueness. "I couldn't very well attack my son and his girlfriend."

Marinette conceded his point with a thoughtful nod.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't supposed to be anyone I knew, least of all people I actually _liked_," he said, ignoring her mouth dropping open in surprise. "I spent _hours _talking with Nooroo about all of this. Hours arguing, hours sick to my stomach as the realization of everything I had ever done washed over me. Karma, I called it, though Nooroo was too kind to voice his agreement."

"What about the conventions?" Marinette asked. Gabriel felt his cheeks heat up. "Why did you show up to all of those? We really thought you were our biggest fan." A faint ripple of hurt flashed across her face. "It made Adrien so happy to discover his father approved of what he was doing. Was spending all of that time with him all just an act to further your cover story?"

"No!" he exclaimed. He thought on it for a moment. "Well, I admit some of the occurrences were quite unexpected."

"So you didn't really want to spend all that time with me?" The voice from the doorway asked.

They swiveled around to find Adrien standing there, a crestfallen expression upon his face. He held Gabriel's notebook in limp fingers at his side.

"No, Adrien!" Gabriel yelled as he jumped to his feet, ignoring the faint rush of blood to his head as he faced him, desperate to convince his son to believe him. "I admit that I didn't always enjoy the uh, _saturation _of my two former enemies plastered everywhere, but every minute I spent with you, I treasured."

At Adrien's uncertain expression, he glanced at Marinette. "Ladybug pointed out some harsh truths to me the last time we spoke at the fashion contest," Gabriel said, and Marinette's eyes widened in surprise. He turned his attention back to Adrien. "She made me realize I was living in the past. Refusing to accept the present in front of me and not allowing myself to build a future I could be happy with."

He stepped toward his son, nearing him but keeping an arm's length away for Adrien's comfort. "I had thought my future involved Emilie," he said, his voice lowering. "Every time you smiled, or laughed, or shared something special with Marinette, I was reminded that your mother wasn't here to share in those moments with us. But Ladybug pointed out to me what I was doing wrong. I wasn't recognizing what you and I had created together. I didn't see what was right in front of me this whole time."

Adrien blinked back tears, pressing his lips together in a tight white line.

"Discovering you are Chat Noir only solidified what I had already come to accept. You are an amazing person, Adrien. Believe me when I say that I have cherished all of the moments we've shared together."

Adrien rushed forward and tackled Gabriel into a hug, almost knocking the tall man off his feet. He held his son for a long time, his heart pounding as he realized Adrien might just forgive him. He refused to pull away first, so he waited until Adrien loosened his grip before following suit.

"Well, I do have another question, Mr. Agreste," Marinette said once both men got a firm handle upon their emotions. "You said that everything you did at the conventions was to spend more time with your son, correct?"

He flushed. "If we're being completely honest, I did take the opportunity to attempt to gain clues to your identities," he added.

"Uhm okay," she said. "That almost makes sense. But there's still one thing I don't understand."

"Ask away," he said.

"If you were using the conventions as a way to uncover our identities, what was up with the cosplay contest?"

All of the blood drained from his face. "Uhm," he struggled to find a suitable excuse. "Obviously to draw you two out, of course," he said. Perfect! "Only the real heroes of Paris would recognize a Miraculous wielder among all of the fakes. And it clearly worked."

"Hmm," Marinette drawled out, stepping closer to him. He resisted the urge to step back. "Is that really the truth?" she wheedled.

"Yes, of course," he said, putting all of his effort into keeping his voice steady. A bead of sweat popped out on his forehead.

"You know, Mr. Agreste," she continued, taking another step closer. This time, he _did _step back in response. "If we're going to trust you, you need to be _completely_ honest with us."

"Completely," his son added, falling in line beside his partner to form an impassable wall.

A long moment of silence passed before he cracked. "Okay, fine," he burst out, annoyed that these two managed to break him. "Did you even _see _the costumes that had entered? Those people wouldn't have known quality if it smacked them in the face! It was utterly offensive. _Someone _had to show them what a decent costume looked like. It insulted every designer bone in my body!"

The two kids blinked at him after he had finished his outburst. He folded his hands behind his back and attempted to look as dignified as possible. Adrien's lips twitched. Marinette hid a smile. He felt his face begin to burn. The two teenagers glanced at each other and that was the trigger that set them off. They started howling with laughter.

He stood there and weathered through their cackles of mirth. Each time one of them would calm down, another exchange of glances set them off on another round of giggles. When he had finally had enough of their laughter at his expense, he cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we should get back to the matter at hand," he said, attempting to keep the irritation from his voice, "and we can resume our discussion about my tenure as Hawkmoth? Or would you prefer to put that off for another day?"

That sobered the kids right away.

"No, sorry, Mr. Agreste," Marinette said. "You're right. We really need to talk about this now."

Adrien handed the notebook to his father, who sat back down on the couch and opened it.

"Thank you, Adrien," Gabriel said, thumbing through to the correct page. "I was thinking of making a formal apology to the people of Paris, announcing my intention to cease the akumas and fade away into obscurity. In order to reach a broader audience, I've decided to host my own convention."

The two teenagers stared at him.

"Host your own convention?" Adrien repeated.

A nod. "Yes. It's only fitting I do so as Paris' biggest fan of Ladybug and Chat Noir, don't you think?" The wry grin on his lips finalized his statement.

Adrien chuckled. "I still can't get over the fact that _Hawkmoth _is our biggest fan."

He scowled at his son, but his heart wasn't into the gesture and his frown rapidly melted away. "Yes, I'm sure some higher power had quite a good laugh at my expense all these many months."

Meanwhile, Marinette had tugged his notebook closer to her and flipped through the pages. Tikki hovered over her shoulder as they studied his plans.

"You came up with all of this?" she asked.

"It was a joint effort," he conceded, looking to his right shoulder where Nooroo rested. "I can't claim credit entirely. Nooroo here is responsible for a good portion of it."

She nodded absently as she continued to scan through his notes. When she reached the end, she closed the notebook and set it aside. "I think it's a wonderful idea, Mr. Agreste. It's a great start to making amends for everything you've done."

He caught the insinuation that he would be making amends for a very long time.

"How are you planning on doing this?" Adrien asked. "I think we would cause a riot if Hawkmoth appeared in the flesh. We would get mobbed before we got two words out!"

"Perhaps some refreshments are in order?" he suggested. "This might take a while."

* * *

"I propose a pre-recorded video." Gabriel said, once everyone had stuffed themselves on finger foods, pastries, and in the kwami's cases, various cookies, cheese and popcorn. He declined to partake, only grabbing a couple of bland crackers and some ginger ale. He wasn't entirely certain his stomach was up to the challenge of heavier foods quite yet. "To be unveiled by you two during the convention. That way, you can view it ahead of time and approve it before releasing it to the public. I think the announcement of the end of Hawkmoth would make a fitting opening to the event."

Adrien's eyes twinkled with mischief. "It will really cement your legacy as our biggest fan," he said. "Hawkmoth agreeing to cease his akumas at your convention will be all that people remember about it."

"And make it that much harder should we decide to publicly denounce him as Hawkmoth," Marinette added with a frown. "Since who would believe us that 'Paris' biggest fan' was really Hawkmoth all along?"

Gabriel's eyes widened. "That's not my intention at all!" he insisted.

Now, even Adrien's eyes lost their shine as he stared at him suspiciously. "Is that the reason you're doing this?" he asked.

"No!" he repeated. "I thought that hosting a convention in your honor would mark the beginning of the new Hawkmoth. And show my sincerity to repent."

The girl studied him for a long moment, then shifted her attention beside him. He turned to find her staring at Nooroo. Whatever passed between them seemed to appease her, because she relented with a sigh. "I still don't trust you," she said, "but I think we can work with this."

He smiled, some part deep within lightening at the glimmer of optimism. "Thank you."

"Now let's get started. We have a lot of work to do before the convention."

And if he thought _he _had good work ethic, this girl destroyed him with her focused determination, driving both him and Adrien to hash out the details, shooting and reshooting again and again and again until all three of them were satisfied with the final result.

And as the day of the convention approached, his nerves alternated between relief at announcing the end of his attacks and dread at how it would be received.

Either way, Paris wouldn't be the same after this weekend.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

Unlike the morning of his confrontation with Ladybug and Chat Noir, when the day of the convention arrived, an intense calm settled over Gabriel's body.

"Why do I feel no nervousness about today?" he asked Nooroo, staring at his reflection in the mirror as he straightened his ascot.

The kwami tilted his head. "I think that might be because you're not alone," he said. "Even though this is a big moment for you, Ladybug and Chat Noir support your decision. They'll be there to back you up. You aren't meant to be alone, Gabriel."

He closed his eyes and planted his fists on the counter, leaning his weight against it. His back hunched, he inhaled deeply. "Would you rather I give you up after today?" he asked, turning his head to face Nooroo.

A gentle smile. "No, Gabriel," he said. "Our work together is not yet complete. You need to show the people of Paris that Hawkmoth can be heroic, too."

Gabriel snorted and pushed himself off the countertop. "I'll settle for restoring your Miraculous back to neutrality," he said. "I'm no hero. That's Adrien." Despite the resigned tone of his words, a proud smile appeared upon his lips as he thought of his son.

Nooroo's own smile turned mysterious – or perhaps that was only his imagination. "You're changing, Gabriel," he said. "Who knows what kind of man you'll emerge into after your metamorphosis has completed."

He barked out a short laugh as he exited the bathroom. "You make me sound like some kind of actual caterpillar."

Nooroo sent him one last knowing smile before darting into his jacket.

There was just one last thing to do before leaving for the convention.

"Adrien?" he inquired as he knocked on his son's door. It opened a few seconds later.

"Yes, Father?" Adrien was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt combo. Plagg floated near his shoulder.

"I'm headed to the convention hall now to coordinate everything. Do you have your schedule memorized? Do you remember when you and Ladybug are supposed to meet me up on the stage?"

Adrien began to roll his eyes before he thought better of it, shifting his weight on his feet to cover the action instead. "Yes, Father," he replied. "Marinette and I know what we're supposed to do."

"Okay, good." He absently fiddled with his ascot, his eyes flickering around the room. "Do you know how to get to the stage, then? Plagg, you're sure that Adrien has the video USB drive? Are you certain you know what to do? I hate not having Nathalie's scheduling planner, but we can't afford to write any of this down." He paused, then met Adrien's eyes. "Do you need me to call you to remind you? Write this down on a piece of paper?" He began to pat his pockets. "I might have a scrap of paper somewhere around here..."

"Father!" Adrien interrupted his search, placing one palm upon Gabriel's chest to halt his nervous motions. "We'll be _fine,_" he emphasized. "Marinette and I know what to do. We've gone over it with you and with each other for weeks. Besides, didn't you just say we shouldn't write anything down?"

"Right, of course." His hands dropped to his sides. "It's just...," he trailed off with a sigh. "Today is an important day."

The hand on his chest moved to his shoulder. "I know, Father." A warm smile. "But you'll be okay. You've always been great in front of crowds."

"I hate crowds," Gabriel muttered.

"But you've always been great in front of them, right?" Adrien looked at him expectantly.

He yielded. "Yes," he mumbled. He stood there for a while longer before Adrien nudged him.

"You should get going," he said. "You don't want to be late."

"Right. Yes, of course." Gabriel turned and stepped away. He hesitated, then pivoted back to his son. "Listen, Adrien," he said, walking back up to the door, "if things don't go well today, I just wanted to – "

"Don't say that, Father," Adrien cut in, "This is going to go off without a snag. Remember, Ladybug helped come up with this plan! Her plans never fail."

Gabriel gave a rueful chuckle. "Yes, but you forget you also had me working on this plan as well. And mine have always failed." He hurried through his next words, cognizant of the time ticking away. "Anyway, Adrien, I just wanted to say that if things go south today and I don't get another chance to say this, I need you to know that I am so incredibly proud of you." Adrien's jaw dropped open. Gabriel cleared his throat and continued. "It's been a long time since I've told you that," he said, pushing through the emotion that welled up at the sight of his son's flabbergasted expression. "I'm a terrible example to take anything from and I know that my approval is the last thing you're probably concerned with. But despite having someone like me for a father, you've grown into an amazing young man." He smiled at him, sad and regretful. "I wish your mother could be here to see you. Then I realize you've become just like her, and I know that she's been here all along. I was just too blind that I never noticed. I'm sorry, Adrien. You're a better person than I can ever hope to aspire to be."

He turned away before Adrien could respond and began to walk down the stairs. As he reached the bottom, arms circled around his waist from behind. He stopped. Adrien pressed his face against his back. Gabriel twisted around as best as he could despite Adrien not giving him much wiggle room as the boy buried his face in Gabriel's jacket.

When he finally managed to circle completely around, instead of pushing Adrien away, he wrapped his arms around his son's shoulders and returned the tight hug, resting his chin upon the sunshine-blond locks. As he closed his eyes, he wondered how much longer he would be able to do that before his son outgrew him, both physically and emotionally.

"I love you, Father," Adrien's muffled voice rumbled against his chest. "And I'm proud of what you're doing now." He looked up into his eyes. "It took a lot of courage to give up and to want to change for the better."

Gabriel rubbed circles along his son's back. "Not as much as you think," he replied.

Adrien pulled away and beamed a practiced smile at him, blinking away tears. Gabriel's own face could have been carved from stone. It would do neither of them any good to break down into puddles of emotional wrecks on the floor. Ladybug would have both of their hides if they skipped out on today. He wasn't ashamed to admit he was still more than a little afraid of the spitfire heroine.

"I'll see you at the convention center, okay, Father?"

He nodded and allowed a bit of his mask to drop, his lips curling up into a warm smile. "Yes, of course."

The smile grew mischievous. "You'll never be able to convince anyone you're not our biggest fan after today."

Gabriel stepped up and placed both hands upon Adrien's shoulders. "Just so long as _you_ never forget that I'll always be _your_ biggest fan. And I'll fight that girlfriend of yours for the title, too."

As Adrien laughed, the warmth shining in his eyes as his face morphed into one of genuine happiness, Gabriel released his son and exited the manor.

It was worth it to arrive a few minutes late to the convention center.

The early morning hours melted away as he prepped some last minute changes and ensured everything would run smoothly. The doors opened to the public at 8am, and he scheduled his welcome speech for 10am.

Which is when Ladybug and Chat Noir would make their appearance on stage with him.

So it felt like only seconds had passed since he arrived before he found himself upon the stage in the enormous amphitheater with the heroes standing beside him. In their transformed states, of course.

The lights stung his eyes. Too bright. Too hot. Sweat beaded and rolled down his temple. He glanced beside him at the two heroes standing there. How could they be so calm? Chat sent him an encouraging smile.

It was time.

He leaned into the microphone. "Good morning," he began, wincing as feedback screeched across the stadium. He straightened and tried again. "Thank you all for coming today. When I decided to put this convention together to honor Ladybug and Chat Noir, our beloved heroes of Paris, I had no idea how they would feel. After all, another convention designed in their honor? To my surprise, they contacted me with an unusual statement." He looked to the heroes. "I'll let them explain."

He stepped aside and Chat moved forward, pulling the microphone down to his level with ease. "Thank you, Mr. Agreste," he said. His voice echoed faintly in the auditorium, for everyone silently watched with rapt attention. "I know it's a lot to ask someone to place their blind trust in us with something, but Ladybug and I have a major announcement. And we decided that who better to broadcast it than our biggest fan." He winked at Gabriel, who resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Adrien _definitely_ got his show-off tendencies from his mother.

Ladybug leaned in beside him and Chat tilted the microphone for her. "Thank you, people of Paris. If you'll indulge us for just a brief moment, we've decided that a video was the best course of action to display this announcement." As Chat stepped over to one of the computers Gabriel had brought up on the stage, she looked around to the monitors hanging from the room. "Uhm, bloggers and news reporters, if you're live-streaming, now would be a good time to get those cameras ready."

Chat pulled out a tiny USB drive from his baton (did he have one of those in his cane?) and stuck it into the laptop. A couple of taps later, and the video began to play across the entire stadium.

The heroes had requested it to be broadcast from every TV in the entire convention hall, so even those people that did not attend the opening ceremony could still see and hear.

Hawkmoth's image flickered on the screen. The crowd gasped.

"Good morning, people of Paris," he said, his voice carrying clear through the video. They decided to film in his lair, covering much of the beams with cloths to help with the sound (and preventing people from possibly identifying anything about it). "Please do not panic. I have not come to threaten anyone. Not anymore, at least."

That quieted everyone.

On screen, Hawkmoth nodded. "Yes, you heard me correctly. I have decided to forfeit my quest to acquire the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses. I am deeply and truly sorry for all of the suffering and horrors I have wrought upon this beautiful city. My decision comes at a time of personal self-reflection. I have come to realize my goals, while at one point I believed to be obtainable, have now reached a point of unacceptability. I have surrendered myself to our heroes, to mete out whatever punishment they see fit." At this, Hawkmoth lowered his head. "Words cannot express my apologies, just as words may not convince you of my sincerity. I plan to show you, people of Paris, the truthfulness of my intentions with my actions. Just as my actions have brought fear to this city, they'll now be used to brighten her up. Ladybug and Chat Noir will be with me every step of the way, ensuring I remain true to my word. I know I personally will never regain your trust, but I hope one day to remove the tarnish from the Butterfly Miraculous' name and restore it to its proper heroic status. The era of Hawkmoth has ended. I am deeply sorry."

The screen darkened as the video stopped.

Ladybug turned to the crowd with a smile. "So, any questions?"

Every hand shot skyward as the room erupted in pandemonium.

With a whining groan drowned out by the thunderous cacophony, Gabriel buried his head in his hands. They were going to be stuck here _all_ day.

_The end._

* * *

Author's Note:_ Like that ending? That was courtesy of RoseGardenTwilight. Check out her awesome works!_

_A sincere and special thank you to PerditaAlottachocolate for the wonderful beta-reading of this story. She's going strong on another connected story for Adrinette April, so fluffy rom-com shenanigans are in the works!_

_And also thank you to Lilafly for giving this a final lookover for last minute mistakes and errors._

_I feel this story is a big weight off my chest, should I decide to quit writing for this fandom, at least I know I've given you guys the Gabriel Redemption you've been clamoring for since the third story and won't feel like I've left you guys without a satisfying resolution._

_Thank you to everyone who has read this series and enjoyed it!_


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